Nellis Named President of Texas Tech University
Duane Nellis, Ph.D., will begin his duties as president of Texas Tech University on June 15.
The Board of Regents unanimously approves M. Duane Nellis, Ph.D., as the next president
of Texas Tech University.
March 22, 2013 | Written by Jaryn Jones
Today (March 22), as recommended by Chancellor Kent Hance, the Board of Regents of the Texas Tech University System unanimously approved M. Duane Nellis, Ph.D., as the new president of Texas Tech University.
After a nationwide search conducted by regents and system officials, Hance named Nellis as the sole finalist on March 1, working in consultation with a search committee. Nellis succeeds Lawrence Schovanec, Ph.D., who has served as interim president of Texas Tech University since former President Guy Bailey resigned from the position in August 2012.
“After an extensive search for qualified applicants, Dr. M. Duane Nellis is the clear candidate to build upon Texas Tech University’s recent success,” Hance said. “I am proud to introduce Dr. Nellis as president, and I look forward to an exciting new chapter for our university.”
Nellis is the current president of the University of Idaho, the state of Idaho’s premier land-grant research university and flagship institution. Serving as president since July 2009, Nellis has secured record student enrollments, enhanced the university’s research profile and spearheaded the university’s largest fundraising campaign.
“I am honored to accept the position of president at Texas Tech University,” Nellis said. “The current momentum is truly impressive, and I look forward to working with our students, faculty, staff and community to continue the university’s progress and growth.”
Nellis will begin his duties as president June 15.
Previously, he served as provost and senior vice president at Kansas State University. He also served as dean of the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences at West Virginia University, the institution’s largest academic college.
An authority in higher education, Nellis has served as a commissioner for the Northwest Commission of Colleges and Universities, one of the eight nationally-recognized bodies that determine whether higher education institutions are accredited. He also was appointed as a commissioner of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, which coordinates higher education efforts for 15 western states.
Nellis holds a bachelor’s degree in earth sciences/geography at Montana State University and received his master’s and doctoral degrees in geography from Oregon State University.
About the Texas Tech University System
The Texas Tech University System is one of the top public university systems in the
state of Texas, consisting of three component institutions and operating at 12 academic
sites and centers. Headquartered in Lubbock, Texas, the TTU System has an annual operating
budget of $1.5 billion and approximately 17,000 employees focused on advancing higher
education, health care, research and outreach.
In 2012, total research expenditures approached $200 million and total enrollment exceeded 43,700 students for the first time in the TTU System’s history. Whether it’s contributing billions of dollars annually in economic impact or being the only system in Texas to house an academic institution, law school, and medical school at the same location, the TTU System continues to prove that anything is possible.